Testing is expected to last three months, and customers with "newer" iPhones and Android-powered smartphones can participate

Bank of America is dipping into the mobile payments arena with a new trial taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bank of America is partnering up with Paydiant, a mobile payments startup, to allow customers to pay for everyday items at registers via smartphones.

Initially, the pilot program is being tested out at five merchant locations in Charlotte, North Carolina. Testing is expected to last three months, and customers with iPhones and Android-powered smartphones can participate

“The pilots provide us with the opportunity to explore innovative mobile solutions, engage our customers and utilize their feedback,” said Tara Burke, Bank of America spokeswoman.

Prior to the mobile payments trial, Bank of America was also involved in a near-field communications (NFC) trial. While the bank is still in the midst of testing this technology, it’s looking to other avenues since not all phones have an NFC chip embedded. A notable non-NFC phone is Apple’s latest iPhone 5.

Bank of America is looking to lead the mobile payments revolution, and it looks like mobile is the way to go: Gartner said the market for global mobile payments is expected to surpass $171 billion this year.